Magnetic dipole localization based on magnetic gradient tensor data at a single point

Abstract

Magnetic dipole localization methods that rely on measurement of the magnetic field vector are compromised by the relatively strong background geomagnetic field. A localization method that uses only magnetic gradient tensor data is proposed. The localization equations are established by transforming Euler’s equation of degree −3 into degree −4 and using the orthogonality of the intermediate eigenvector of the magnetic gradient tensor that is produced by a magnetic dipole and the source-sensor displacement vector. To measure the quantities required in the localization equations, we designed a magnetic gradient tensor system in which finite differences are used to approximate the first- and second-order spatial gradients of magnetic field components. Numerical simulations show that the proposed method can accurately and uniquely solve for the location of a magnetic dipole in the presence of the geomagnetic field, and the experimental results show the superiority and the practicability of the proposed method.